Opnav 597. Your instructions to route our chartered vessels in Eastern Coast convoys only results in peculiar situation. Our 6 chartered oil tankers are all slow ships and slow Eastern Coast convoys leave every 16 days from Hampton Roads. We may route few slow ships from Sydney N. S. [to?] Wales but date of sailing falls close to Hampton Roads date. The net result is frequent delays of two weeks in getting these oil ships started across after loading. Is it practicable to send tank ships and other slow chartered Navy ships and Navy auxiliaries bound for Queenstown in Western Coast convoys as well as in the Eastern Coast convoys. 13005.